Iron Infusion

At Walker Street Doctors, we are skilled at providing iron infusions for our patients with iron deficiency anaemia, when oral iron preparations are ineffective or cannot be used. Iron is an essential element required for the oxygen-carrying capacity of haemoglobin in red blood cells and of myoglobin in muscle tissue. It also plays an important role in many other vital processes in the human body. The aim of the therapy is to replenish body iron stores and to remedy iron deficiency anaemia.

Planning the iron infusion appointment.

Please ask your doctor during your iron infusion planning consultation for a prescription for ferinject which can be dispensed at any pharmacy. When the ferinject has been dispensed to you, please book a regular 20 minute appointment with your preferred General Practitioner and bring the ferinject with you for infusion. Ferinject will be administered intravenously over 10-15 minutes.

Cost

When dispensed via prescription on the PBS, the cost of Ferinject (iron carboxymaltase) is reduced to $40.30 for two vials of 500mg in 10ml. One vial only is administered at a time, diluted in 100ml saline. You can store the remaining vial for subsequent use or we can store it for you.

In addition to the cost of the medication from the pharmacy, the cost of the infusion equipment is $25 and a regular consultation fee (which is partially rebatable by Medicare) applies.

For patients not entitled to the Australian PBS subsidy, the cost of ferinject to the patient is $183 for one vial.

Follow up

Please make arrangements to stay in the practice or in the immediate vicinity of Walker Street Doctors for at least 20 minutes following the infusion. While the risk of allergic reaction to ferinject is significantly lower than other intravenous iron preparations, it is not zero.

All medications, including ferinject, have the potential for side effects and need to be respected.

In general, intravenous iron therapy will be followed up with daily oral iron supplementation (even if at a very low dose which is tolerated), and a repeat blood sample for retesting of iron stores, four weeks after treatment.